The San Diego Padres are fresh off their first series win of the season as they went on the road for the first time this year and won the final two games of a three’game series with the Boston Red Sox.
The final game of the series was particularly encouraging as the Padres rallied from an early four-run deficit and put together their best offensive performance of the season. Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill both delivered clutch home runs and shortstop Xander Bogaerts finally had a strong showing in front of his former crowd.
However, the Padres bullpen, which most assumed would be the strength of the team, struggled once again. Veteran left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta blew the save against the Red Sox, allowing an earned run and failing to strand the runner Bradgley Rodriguez had left on base. During Saturday’s win, Adrian Morejon also registered a blown save as he allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Fortunately, the Padres were able to rally and win both games, and the team has received some good injury news that may improve the strength of the team’s bullpen.
San Diego Padres Get Good News
The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff Sanders reported that reliever Jason Adam has cleared another check in his to-do list before returning to the San Diego Padres roster.
Sanders wrote:
“The 34-year-old reliever walked two but pitched a scoreless inning in his first back-to-back appearance on Sunday in Triple-A El Paso’s 6-5 loss at Tacoma.
Adam is continuing to work back from last year’s season-ending quad surgery. He has turned in three scoreless innings on his rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso and could be activated as soon as April 8, although it’s possible the Padres way until they return to Petco Park on April 9.”
Since being acquired by San Diego during the 2024 trade deadline, Adam has pitched 92 innings with a 1.66 ERA. Unfortunately, Adam suffered a late-season ruptured quad tendon that knocked him out of the 2025 postseason and the start of the 2026 season.
Getting him back would likely provide a boost to a bullpen that has mostly struggled, outside of All-Star closer Mason Miller.
San Diego Padres Rotation
The Padres’ win on Sunday over the Red Sox marked the first time this season the Padres have won a game that was started by their No. 4 or No. 5 starter. Despite the win, starting pitcher Walker Buehler struggled once again. In his second start of the year, Buehler allowed four runs as he failed to get out of the third inning in his return to Boston.
The Padres No. 5 starter Germán Márquez is set to make his second start of the season against the Pirates. He struggled during his first start, allowing four runs on eight hits in three innings against the San Francisco Giants.
Both pitchers will have to improve if they want to keep their spot in the team’s rotation. Starting pitcher Griffin Canning, who the team signed this offseason, made his first rehab appearance of the season, allowing one run in 2.2 innings with the El Paso Chihuahuas. Another option for San Diego could be Matt Waldron, who made his second rehab start in El Paso. He has yet to allow a run in seven innings pitched with the Chihuahuas.
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